Amber Riley

Amber Patrice Riley was born on February 15, 1986, in Los Angeles County, California. She began singing at a very young age and received vocal lessons as she grew older. While attending La Mirada High School, from which she graduated in 2004, Riley participated in choir, pursuing her passion for music. At 17, she auditioned for the second season of “American Idol” but was not selected by the producers. Despite this initial rejection, Riley continued to pursue her career in entertainment, soon landing a minor role in the unaired comedy pilot “St. Sass” in 2002. This early experience provided an important connection, as “Glee” creator Ryan Murphy was also involved with “St. Sass,” making a lasting impression on him.

Riley’s breakthrough came in 2008 when she was cast as Mercedes Jones in the Fox comedy-drama series “Glee,” a role she would maintain as a main cast member for most of its six-season run (2009–2015). Her portrayal of Mercedes, a fierce and talented alto, garnered a Screen Actors Guild Award and nominations for a Grammy Award, three NAACP Image Awards, and three Teen Choice Awards. Her vocal performances on the show led to over 200 entries on the Billboard Hot 100. Beyond “Glee,” Riley demonstrated her versatility by winning the 17th season of “Dancing with the Stars” in 2013, becoming the first African-American woman to do so. She also made notable appearances at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards and sang the national anthem at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

In 2016, Riley achieved significant critical acclaim for originating the lead role of Effie White in the West End debut of “Dreamgirls” at the Savoy Theatre in London. Her performance earned her the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical and the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Musical Performance in 2017. Following this success, she formed the musical theatre supergroup Leading Ladies with Beverley Knight and Cassidy Janson, releasing their debut album, “Songs from the Stage,” in 2017. More recently, Riley released her debut extended play, “RILEY,” in 2020, and won the eighth season of “The Masked Singer” (American version) in 2022. Her career continues to evolve with recent roles such as voicing Ursula in Disney Jr.’s animated series “Ariel” (2024–present) and starring in upcoming films like “Savvy Sheldon Feels Good As Hell.”